It wasn't just Conan who wore a look of utter disbelief.
Ran's face was a mask of shock as she gasped, "Shinichi's mother?!"
Beside them, Ai Haibara stood with a faint, knowing smile, remaining silent. Since even Professor Agasa had appeared in the game's photographs as Dr. Watson, it was only natural for this famous actress to grace the stage here.
"How rude. I'll have you know I'm still single," the woman replied.
Yukiko—or rather, Irene Adler—gave them a look of mild exasperation. Dressed in a stunning, floor-length pink gown, she adjusted her posture and added with a mischievous tilt of her head, "Actually, to be more precise, I've returned to the single life following a divorce."
Watching her mannerisms, Conan felt a headache coming on. This is definitely my mother...
She had likely added a host of strange, self-indulgent settings to her character profile. Honestly, he felt she was being generous by not "youth-masking" herself into a sixteen-year-old girl.
"These are flowers for you, from Sherlock Holmes," the Great Detective said, stepping forward to present the bouquet.
"Thank you. And where is Mr. Holmes?" Irene asked, taking the flowers with a graceful nod.
"He was looking forward to tonight's performance, but a sudden case demanded his attention, so he couldn't make it," Ran explained, using the excuse they had prepared earlier.
"Is that so? What a pity." Irene shook her head, her disappointment appearing genuine.
"Miss Adler, please, you must cancel tonight's performance," Conan interjected, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty, has targeted you. He's already sent an assassin."
"Why would he want to kill me?" Irene asked. Her face showed no sign of panic; she seemed more curious than afraid.
"He likely wants to see what kind of expression Sherlock Holmes would wear at the moment of your death," Conan said, his voice dropping an octave.
Irene let out a soft laugh, her lips curling into a smile. "In that case, I should like to see that expression myself."
Conan: "..."
Ultimately, not even invoking the terrifying name of Jack the Ripper could faze the woman. Realizing they couldn't move her, the group took it upon themselves to act as her personal security detail.
"This woman... she's got some serious backbone," Hideki Moroboshi whispered, leaning toward Conan.
The Great Detective watched his mother begin her pre-show preparations, a speechless expression fixed on his face. Yep, that's her personality through and through...
One thing was certain: in this virtual world, the relationship between Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes had been significantly altered from the original novels. Just by looking at her, it was clear the two were being framed as a romantic pair.
Night fell over London.
Irene Adler took her place on center stage, her voice rising in a hauntingly beautiful melody.
"Die beautifully, Irene Adler," a voice whispered from the upper balconies. While the audience sat enthralled by the performance, a fashionable elderly man stared down at her silhouette, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Suddenly, a violent explosion ripped through the air. The entire opera house shuddered violently.
"What's happening?!"
"Run! Get out!"
These weren't mere flashbangs; the charges were powerful enough to compromise the building's structural integrity. The theater groaned and swayed as panicked guests scrambled for the exits.
High above the stage, the heavy lighting rig began to tilt. With a screech of tearing metal, it snapped, hurtling toward the singer below.
"Look out!"
Akira Emori and Shinya Takizawa lunged from the wings. With a desperate burst of speed, they collided with Irene, shoving her out of the way just as the massive equipment slammed into the stage.
"Emori!"
"Takizawa!"
Conan and the others rushed over, but it was too late.
"Tch... looks like we're out," Takizawa said with a weak grin. He looked down at his hands, which were already beginning to dissolve into shimmering curtains of digital light. It was the same phenomenon they had seen when Kikukawa was eliminated.
"How frustrating," the chubby Akira Emori muttered, scratching his head. "We were finally getting close to the truth."
Irene Adler knelt beside them, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you. I owe you my life."
"I... I've never been thanked like that before..."
"Feels pretty good, doesn't it?" Takizawa and Emori traded a glance and smiled.
The two of them had been standing at the front. When they saw the rig falling, they hadn't hesitated or calculated the risks; they had simply moved to save a life.
"Moroboshi, the rest is up to you!" Takizawa called out to the last remaining member of their original clique.
"Leave it to me," Hideki Moroboshi replied with a solemn nod.
As the light faded, only Moroboshi remained of the four "football boys."
"Quickly, to the back door!" Conan shouted.
Another explosion rocked the building. It seemed Jack the Ripper was intent on leveling the entire theater. In the chaos, it was impossible to tell how many NPCs had been caught in the blasts.
CRASH!
In the backstage area, several massive stone statues began to topple one after another. A falling plinth caught Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Ai Haibara in its path.
"Don't give up now, Conan!" Ayumi cried out as her body began to glow.
"That's right! No matter what's happening on Big Brother Tsuneo's side, we have to clear our side of the game too!" Mitsuhiko added, forcing a smile.
The Detective Boys couldn't afford to lose in a world of mystery and deduction!
Ai Haibara looked down at her shimmering palms, then turned her gaze toward Conan. She gave him a soft, encouraging smile. "Do your best, Holmes. This game... turned out to be quite interesting after all."
"Dammit!"
Conan watched the three of them vanish simultaneously. He gritted his teeth and sprinted toward the rear exit, which was finally within reach.
With their elimination, only three players remained in the London stage: Ran, Conan, and Moroboshi.
"There he is!"
The moment they burst out of the opera house with Irene, they saw a dark shadow bolting into the distance. Ran's combat prowess was formidable—she was more than a match for Jack the Ripper in a fair fight—but the killer had no intention of lingering. Seeing his initial strike fail, he turned and fled with surprising speed.
With the commotion they had caused, police whistles were sounding from every direction. If the killer stayed to fight, he risked the gallows.
Midnight arrived.
Accompanied by a shrill whistle and billowing plumes of black smoke, the final train at Charing Cross Station began to chuff slowly forward.
Trailing Jack the Ripper, Conan and the other two leaped onto the accelerating carriages just as they cleared the platform...
While the London world reached its dramatic climax, a certain "Captain" was currently reclining in a rocking chair, basking in the sun.
"Captain, we have arrived in the Seventh Sea," Ruth reported, stepping onto the deck.
"Pass down the order," Tsuneo said, waving a dismissive hand. "If you see a pirate ship, open fire immediately. Don't worry about the cost of the cannonballs."
"I... I understand..." Ruth didn't know how to voice his opinion on such a policy. Either way, their pirate fleet was currently overflowing with riches.
It had taken thirty-seven days to travel from the First Sea to the Seventh. They had taken shortcuts and skipped several minor islands—mostly because their "Great Captain" had grown bored of weaklings and no longer felt like wasting time robbing them.
In those thirty-seven days, they had grown from a single warship into a massive armada of three hundred fully equipped, heavy-class galleons.
Tsuneo hadn't spent a single day in idleness. He had fought one fleet after another, earning a terrifying reputation that echoed across the oceans. By now, the entire world knew of the birth of a true Sovereign of the Seas. Even the most powerful kingdoms were now subservient, obediently offering up supplies and ammunition to stay on his good side.
As for the "Great Pirates" of the Seventh Sea?
Most had likely packed their bags and fled into the night. No one could survive the concentrated bombardment of nearly ten thousand cannons.
Genta stood nearby, looking up at Tsuneo's health bar—which was currently wider than the pirate ship itself—and began to seriously question the nature of reality.
(End of Chapter)
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